Golf device



p J. T. cAsEBEER 2,213,518

GOLF DEVICE Filed Nov. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 If: E l

1 a K? i6 @11 i I cl'rmesffisegeer Sept. 3, 1940.

J. 1'. CASEBEER 2,213,518

GOLF DEVICE Filed Nov. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 12E; 5 l 5 5/ J5 fi 3 .I-l;.' I a? A1 I IKE- 8 IN V EN TOR.

'RNEYS.

Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT orrice GOLF DEVICE James '1. Casebeer, Washington, D. Application November 1, 1938, Serial No. 238,245

5 Claims.

This invention relates to games and toys and more particularly to an apparatus by means of which the game of golf may be played upon a sidewalk or other limited area either outside or indoors.

In many localities, there is a lack of recreation facilities such as playgrounds or public golf courses and children and grown persons find it difficult to obtain desired recreation and exercise. It is, therefore, one object of the invention to provide a game apparatus by means of which a game closely resembling the game of golf may be played upon a sidewalk without danger of a ball rolling from the sidewalk onto a street and resulting likelihood of a person being injured by being struck by an automobile or other vehicle when recovering the ball.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cage of a special construction which may be set upon a sidewalk or other playing surface and serve as a hole into which the ball is to be driven with the least number of strokes possible from a starting point representing the teeingoff point of a. golf course.

Another object of the invention is to so form the cage that when it is set in place for use, it will remain in a set position and not be liable to be accidentally moved if struck by a ball failing to enter the cage.

Another object of the invention is to provide the cage with a light energized by a dry cell carcarried by the cage and thus permit the cage to be easily seen if the game is being played during late evening or at night.

- Another object of the invention is to provide a ball of such formation that while it may be struck with a golf stick and move with a rolling motion along a sidewalk, flat faces formed about the ball will restrict its rolling movement and prevent it from having lengthy rolling motion and easily rolling off a sidewalk onto a street.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a cage which may be set in place for use upon an earthen surface and be anchored in a set position during use in the particular place in which it is set.

Still another object-of the invention resides in providing a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very efficient in operation and application to use. I

With these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation showing the game '5 apparatus in use upon .a sidewalk.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the cage or hole.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the cage along the line 3-3 of Figure 2. 1

Figure 4 is a view in elevation looking at the entrance end or front of the cage with portions of its base shown in section.

Figure 5 is a view of the ball.

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken longitudinally through a modified form of cage.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken transversely through the modified form of cage near the front end thereof along the line 'l-i of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a sectional View taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 6.

This game apparatus for playing sidewalk golf consists briefly of a cage or hole i which is to be set in place upon a sidewalk 2 or other playing surface, and a suitable number of balls 3 intended to be set in place upon the sidewalk a desired distance fromv the cage and driven towards and finally into the cage by a. golf club 4 with the least possible number of strokes. It will thus be seen that the game is played similar to a regular game of golf except that a very lively, free rolling ball is not used and a cage taking the place of a hole sunken into the ground. While it has. been stated that a golf club is used for driving the ball, it will be understood that a shinny stick, croquet mallet or a specially formed club may be used for driving the ball along the sidewalk and into the cage.

The cage i has a base 5 formed of concrete or other heavy material and this base has sloping front and side edges ii and l in order to eliminate abrupt edge faces along these margins of the base. The body 8 of the cage is formed of finely woven wire mesh material such as a sheet of screening which is bent to form a top and side walls and lower marginal portions of the side walls are embedded in the base along upper marginsof the sloping side edge faces! of the base as shown in Figure 4. Therefore, the body of the cage will be firmly anchored to the base and since the base is heavy there will be no danger of the cage being turned over or shifted out of its proper position When struck by the ball. The cage is open at its front and when the ball encounters the sloping front edge 55 face 6, it will travel upwardly over this edge face and into the cage. This constitutes holing the ball and when such holing is accomplished, the number of strokes required to do so is to be recorded upon a score card.

The rear wall 9 of the body 8 of the cage constitutes the front wall of a light box l and this wall is formed with an opening I l throughwhich light is projected from a bulb l2 mounted in a socket l3 secured through a reflector M. This reflector is of the usual concaved formation and between the reflector and the wall 9 is disposed a transparent sheet I5 constituting a shield for the bulb and preventing it from being struck and broken by the ball when the ball is driven into the cage. A battery I6 is disposed vertically in the light box to supply current for the bulb and conductors l1 and [8 for the battery and the bulb socket extend to a switch l9 carried by a removable cover 20 which closes the upper end of the light box. By removing the cover, access may be had to the interior of the light 'box and a new battery installed when necessary. Removal of the cover also permits removal of the reflector when cleaning thereof or replacing of the bulb is necessary.

When this game is played, the first player who is referred to as the honor player places his ball upon the sidewalk and drives it towards the cage or hole. which has been previously set in place any desired distance from the starting point or tee by the second player who is referred to as the caller. The duty of the caller is not only to set the cage at a desired place but he must also decide the number of shots which is to constitute par for making the hole. the first player has driven his ball into the cage and made a record of the number of shots taken, the second player also drives his ball from the tee position to and into the cage and if he takes a fewer number of strokes than the first player, he becomes the honor player and the other player the caller and must set the cage in place for the second hole and decide the number of shots to constitute par. He may set the cage at any distance he wishes and in any direction but the "tee position for the second hole will be near the position previously occupied by the cage. It is to be understood that as many players as wish may play the game and follow each other in regular order, the winner of each hole becoming honor player for the next hole and the second lowest becoming the caller.

If a spherical ball were used, it would roll too freely and be liable to roll off of the pavement. Therefore, the ball is formed as shown in. Figure 5. Referring to this figure, it will be seen that the ball 3 which is preferably formed of wood instead of a lively material such as rubber, has a plurality of opposed flat faces 25 which are of square outline and triangular faces 22 which are also flat and disposed between the square faces. The ball, in fact, constitutes a cube having the usual opposed side faces and having its corner portions cut oif diagonally to provide the fiat side faces 2| and the intermediate triangular faces 22. Thisball when struck with the golf club 4 will roll to a certain extent but its rolling movement will be retarded by the flat faces 25 and 22 and after rolling a short distance, it will slide along the sidewalk upon one of its flat faces and come to a stop even if the sidewalk has a sloping surface. It will thus be seen that the ball will not roll along the sidewalk and into the street with resulting likelihood of a person being struck After by an automobile and injured while retrieving the ball.

In Figures 6 through 8, there has been illustrated a modified form of cage. In this embodiment of the invention, the cage has a body 23 corresponding to the body 8 and this body has its side Walls anchored in the heavy base 24 corresponding to the base 5. There has also been provided a light box 26 at the rear end of the cage in which are mounted a battery 21 and a reflector 28 carrying a socket 29 for the bulb 30. The cover 3| carries a switch which is connected with the battery and the socket by conductors 33 and 34 so that when the switch is closed, the

bulb will project light through the glass 35 into the interior of the cage and illuminate the cage so that the cage may be seen and a ball driven into the cage when playing at dusk or during the night. This cage or hole is to be used upon ground 36 instead of a concrete sidewalk and in order that it may be more securely held in a set position, there have been provided anchoring bars 31 which are pivoted to ends of a cross rod or pin 38 passing transversely through the body of the cage close to the open front end thereof. The end portions of this cross rod are of increased thickness as shown at 39 and the portion of the cross rod between these thickened end portions passed through a sleeve 40 at the upper end of a gate 4| which may be swung inwardly to permit passage of a ball into the cage but is of such length that it cannot swing outwardly to an opened position. Therefore, although a ball-may enter the cage, it cannot bound back and out through the open front end thereof after striking the front of the light box. When this form of cage or hole is in use, a spherical ball such as a regulation golf ball may be used as the game is played in a yard, or upon a vacant lot and there is no danger of it rolling out into the street. Instead of using a single cage, a suitable number may be provided and secured in permanent locations by means of the anchoring bars.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved device, the operation thereof and the method of applying the same to use, will be readily understood. It will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the objects of the invention and while I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proporion and in the minor details of construction may be restored to, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed is:

1. Game apparatus comprising a cage having a base, a body carried by the base and open at its front end, an upright light box for closing the other end of said body mounted rigidly upon said base back of the body and having an inner wall confronting the body in contacting engagement with the rear end thereof and formed with an opening located between side walls of the body, lighting means in said lightbox having a reflector for projecting light forwardly throughthe opening into the body, and a transparent closure for the opening constituting a shield for the lighting means.

2. Game apparatus comprising a cage having a base and a body carried by the base and open at one end, a light box for closing the other end of said body having an inner wall confronting the body and formed with an opening, a reflector in said box, a bulb socket carried by said reflector and facing the opening, a transparent closure for said opening disposed between the reflector and the inner wall of the box, a battery in said box, and a switch operable externally of the box and in circuit with the battery and the bulb socket.

3. Game apparatus comprising a cage having a base and a body carried by the base and open at one end, a light box for closing the other end of said body having an inner wall confronting the body and formed with an opening, a reflector in said box, a bulb socket carried by said reflector and facing the opening, a transparent closure for said opening disposed between the reflector and the inner wall of the box, a battery in said box, a removable cover for said box, a switch carried by said cover externally thereof, and conductors connecting the switch with the battery and the bulb socket.

4. Game apparatus comprising a cage having a rod carried by said body pivotally mounting the door for inward swinging movement to an opened position, and anchoring bars pivotally carried by ends, of said rod and adapted to be embodied in ground to anchor the cage in a set position, I

5. Game apparatus comprising a cage having a base and a body carried by the base and open at one end, a door for the open end of said body, a rod extending across the top of the open end of said body and pivotally mounting the door at its upper end for inward swinging movement to an opened position, said rod having its end portions projecting from opposite sides of the body, and anchoring bars carried by the projecting ends of the rod and being of a length adapting them to be embedded in ground and anchor the cage in a set position.

' JAMES T. CASEBEER. 

